Iced Cold
by Angel Dove1
Summary: It's Jounouchi's birthday, but his life seems to be going from bad to worse and now his best friend is not going to make it home for his birthday. Giving up on life, he chose to end it on the day he was born. Will someone arrive before he finishes what his plans? Who will find him and what would the consequences be? Will he recover or continue down his dark path? Warnings inside
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or any of the characters

Well I finally succeeded in getting a story for Jounouchi's birthday. Though, it was supposed to be an oneshot and turned into two chapters. I'll upload one today and the other one tomorrow on Jounouchi's birthday. I hope you like this.

Warnings: Language, suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempt and shounen ai (MaleXMale kissing)

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Chapter One

He hated his life and every aspect of it. Wondering numerous times why he bothered still living, the blond curled further in the only warm corner of his apartment. He shivered, wrapping the blanket further around him, thinking that he would find some miracle warmth. He should be grateful that at least he still had his apartment, for now. Jounouchi sighed and closed his eyes. "Worst birthday gift ever," he thought, dreading the next day. His birthday was supposed to be a time he treasured and felt happy but there wasn't anything to bring him happiness. "Nothing that happened today would make tomorrow any happier. Maybe I should do it tomorrow. Yeah, how poetic it would be to end it on the day it all started," he thought, glancing about his empty room.

Jounouchi sold everything that day to pay rent for the month, keeping only his clothes and a blanket. At least he had another month with a roof over his head. Well, twelve hours if everything went as planned. He frowned, thinking of how upset Yugi would be to learn that he took his own life, on his birthday none the less. He growled. "Why would he care?" He used the last of his pre-paid minutes to answer a call from Yugi saying he wasn't coming back to Domino for his birthday. He hadn't spoken to Anzu or Honda for several years, but just like years in the past, he silently hoped that they would call him on his birthday. He also refused to think of his little sister and mother. After his father died last year, his mother refused to let him near his sister or even communicate with her.

Glaring at the window on the other side of the room, he realized that his life only got horrible that week. First he was fired for no reason from his job three days ago. He didn't understand their reasoning. He always showed up early, worked hard and never complained. Then, the following day all his bills were due, and he didn't want to pay any of them. He needed to eat some how. He cancelled all of them, not knowing that they would be out the next day to shut everything off. Finally, Yugi called him in the morning cancelling their meeting.

Throwing the blanket off him, Jounouchi lied on the ground, staring up at the ceiling. What was the point in struggling? The world clearly didn't want him to survive to his twenty-fifth birthday. So why should he bother? Screw the blanket. Screw his happiness. Screw worrying about what others would think. It was his life. If he wanted to end it, what right do others have to say anything about it? They didn't have to live like he did; being fired, being left alone.

Sighing he turned on his side. "It had to be the coldest week of winter," Jounouchi thought. "If I opened the window I could freeze to death. I don't have any weapons to use unless I break the window. No medication to swallow and I don't feel like walking somewhere to jump off a bridge." Making the decision, he got up and walked across the room and opened the window. Snow flurries and frigid air came rushing into the already cold room. He sat beside the window with his legs pulled to his chest. He wondered how long it would take to start feeling the affects. He shivered as a blast of cold air came through the window. He thought of leaving a note telling everyone how sorry he was, but there was nothing to write with. He realized that he should have gone to have his last meal and purchased a pad and pen, but it was too late. He had already started the process and didn't want to stop it. It was reaching record lows that night, and it would only be a short amount of time. He hoped.

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Kaiba sat in his office, pleased with the Christmas sales report. He was at an all time high and the profits would keep them a float for the next six months even if they didn't sell anything, which he highly doubted that would happen. He put the report aside and sent out a mass email, giving his employees an extra personal day to use at their own discretion. He didn't normally do something like that, but he was extremely pleased how well his employees worked even through several problems threatened to hinder their Christmas sales.

Sighing, he removed the glasses his optometrist requested him to wear when working on the computer. He didn't like them, but that was what he got for spending so much time staring at a computer screen, sometimes with no lights on. Filing the report in his filing cabinet, his phone began to ring. He glanced at the caller ID before placing it by his ear. "I'll be home in a few minutes, Mokie," he said, using his brother's nickname to emphasize that he wasn't annoyed with his call.

"I wasn't calling about that Nii-sama. I was wondering if you knew Jounouchi's new cellphone number. Every time I call his old one it comes up with unavailable."

"I don't even have that one. Why would I have his new one? Plus, how do you know he got a new one?"

"I don't. He always has his phone on, and I can't reach him to wish him a happy birthday. Can you find it for me?"

Kaiba grumbled, but went back to his desk, putting his glasses back on. He typed in a few websites and read off the number he found there. "That's the one I have. Can't you hack into a few websites and find if he has a new one?"

"I'm not hacking anything. You have his address. Go over and ask him yourself."

"It's not in the best neighborhood, Nii-sama."

"Take your bodyguards."

"But, Seto..."

"What do you want me to do, Mokuba, go over there myself?"

"That would be nice."

The brunet rolled his eyes and shut the computer off. "Why am I doing this?"

"I just found out that Yugi won't make it for his birthday. He'll be all alone. I have that math league challenge tomorrow, remember. I can't go. You usually spend Sundays at home why not invite him over?"

He sighed. "You know we don't get along. Plus it's close to eleven at night. I don't even know if he'll answer the door."

"Seven years changes people. And, he'll answer the door. I know he will."

"Are you setting me up?"

"What? I would never."

"Uh huh. You are never satisfied with me finding someone eventually. What makes you think we would hook up?"

"High school crushes."

Kaiba blushed. "What makes you say that?"

"You're in denial. Stop ignoring it and go see him. It would make the both of you happy."

"So you say. Fine. I'll go but don't expect much. What's his address?"

"It's already in your GPS. Plus your driver knows."

"I'll be home when I can."

"Take your time, Nii-sama," Mokuba said, hanging the phone up.

Kaiba groaned, packing everything he needed into his briefcase. He grabbed his thick jacket and started for the door, calling his driver. He was nervous, but he refused to show it. He didn't know what to expect. Mokuba was right. Seven years could change a person. He didn't know if he was ready for this step, but something inside of him told him that he could. He took one step outside, instantly bombarded with the cold air. He hurried over to the car, sighing with relief that the car was already warm. He waited for the driver to get in. "How did you know what time I was leaving?"

"I received a call from Mokuba-sama giving me an address and informing me that you would be leaving soon."

Kaiba shook his head. "Meddlesome younger brother," he grumbled, missing the smile on his driver's face.

The drive to Jounouchi's home took longer than he thought. There was a dusting of snow blanketing the city. He wondered how many inches they were supposed to get. It seemed too cold to snow. Slowly the structures of the houses began to get worse. He knew the blond lived in a bad neighborhood, but he didn't expect him to live in a rundown neighborhood. They continued through the neighborhoods until the houses turned into trashy houses about to collapse. They stopped in front of a large building with numerous apartments. The walkway looked icy as if it was never shoveled. The door leading into the lobby was falling off the hinges. "Would you like me to come with you?"

"No, Sago, wait here for me to come down, hopefully I won't be long. If you see anything suspicious drive around and call me."

Kaiba got out, stepping carefully along the walkway. He wished he could take Jounouchi away from this place, but he knew the prideful man wouldn't appreciate something like that. The blond was stubborn, only wanting things he achieved himself. The CEO moved through the broken door and up through the stairwell. According to the address, Jounouchi was on the third floor. The stairwell smelt of mildew and filth. The stairs crumbled leaving small pebbles along the stairs. When he reached the third floor, the door leading to the outdoor hallway was missing off the opening and lied a few feet away against the balcony wall. He stared in horror at the holes in the balcony. He dreaded thinking about any children that played there.

Finally reaching Jounouchi's door, he knocked on it, watching it slowly creek open. Cold air came rushing through the door, making it feel warmer outside. "Jounouchi," Kaiba called, sticking his head slightly in the door, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Fearing that something happened to the blond, he carefully moved into the apartment, leaving the door open so it could give some light. He was shocked to see that everything was missing, not that he knew if he owned any furniture to begin with. He walked through the room connected with the kitchen and into the door to the left.

"Jounouchi," he shouted, spotting a person lying on their side by the open window. He turned the man over, seeing his blue lips and feeling his cold skin. "Jounouchi," he called again, but the man refused to open his eyes. "I swear to you if you're dead I'll find a way to resurrect you then kill you myself. You stupid man. If you needed money..." he didn't finish the sentence knowing that it was pointless to say he could have come to him. The blond never would have come to him on top of he would probably give him a hard time about it.

The brunet shut the window and spotted a blanket coming to the conclusion that the blond was trying to kill himself. "Why?" he thought, grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around the icy man. He took his own jacket off, placing it on top of Jounouchi. Lifting the man's slightly light form, he made his way awkwardly out the apartment. His long legs made it difficult to carry him bridal style, but he managed. He kicked the lobby door open.

Sago spotted him and hurried out of the car. "What happened, Kaiba-sama?"

"I found this idiot trying to freeze himself to death. Turn the heat up to full blast and hand me your jacket. Is there still a blanket in the trunk?"

"Yes, sir." Sago gladly gave his jacket to the cold, unconscious man. He didn't like the look of him. Getting in the driver's seat just as Kaiba draped another blanket over Jounouchi, he knew where to take them even without his boss telling them.

Kaiba sat in the back seat with Jounouchi's head in his lap, talking on the phone with the nurse's station. He did everything they said, including taking both of their shirts off and cuddling close to him, giving his own body heat to Jounouchi. He shivered from the icy skin against him. "I swear if I get sick because of you, I'll make your life worse," he mumbled, tightening his grip as Sago took a turn too quickly. The blond mumbled something before shivering. "That's it," Kaiba said. "Stay with me."

By the time they reach Kaiba Corp. Medical Center, Jounouchi was starting to feel a little warmer, but Kaiba was freezing and wasn't sure how much heat he could continue to give. A staff of nurses was waiting for them and quickly loaded the blond onto a gurney. Kaiba put his shirt on, realizing that they took his jacket and all the blankets that Jounouchi had on top of him. He turned to Sago. "Go home. I'll call you when I need a ride. I'll give you your jacket back the next time I see you. Thank you for everything."

Sago nodded, wanting to stay with his boss but knowing that he wouldn't allow it. Kaiba rarely showed any weakness, and he was viewing a lot of it at that moment. He watched the CEO walk into the hospital before taking the car back to his home, praying for the best for the blond.

The brunet paced in the waiting room not sure if the news would be bad or good. He pulled out his phone several times, toying with whom to inform. He remembered Jounouchi living with his father and his sister was with his mother. He also remembered something about Jounouchi's father dying last year. Sighing, Kaiba dialed Mokuba, knowing that his younger brother knew more about Jounouchi than him. "Seto? Is something wrong?"

Kaiba paused unsure how to address the situation. "I found Jounouchi in an empty apartment. He had the heat off and the window open. I don't know for certain if he did all that himself or if someone robbed him, but I doubt it was a robbery. I'm in the hospital now awaiting the doctors."

"Is he okay?"

The CEO didn't really want to say too much. "He was frozen and unconscious when I reached him."

"I'm on my way."

"No. Stay there. Do you know who his next of kin is?"

Mokuba fell silent. "I don't know if he put Yugi or me."

"What?"

"After his father died, Jounouchi was disowned by his mother and a judge signed a restraining order preventing him from seeing his sister. He was forced to live on his own with the little income he received. He lived paycheck by paycheck unable to save any money. The last time I checked he was working at a warehouse loading merchandise into totes for shipping. I'll call Yugi to inform him about Jounouchi. Are you sure you don't want me down there?"

"There's really nothing you could do here. I'll call you once I know something."

"Okay. Thank you, Nii-sama, for going there tonight."

Unable to think of what to say next, Kaiba responded simply, "Sure. Bye, Mokie." He placed his phone back in his pocket, finally choosing to sit.

He didn't know how long he sat there, staring between the door leading to the treatment rooms and the television aimlessly playing news reports. He was sure it was at least two hours. Finally the doors opened and a tall black haired man approached, removing his mask and gloves. "Kaiba-sama," he said, holding his hand out. "I'm Dr. Satoshi. For starters do you know who his next of kin is?"

"My brother believes it's him or Jounouchi's best friend, Yugi."

"He has no family."

"His father died and his mother disowned him."

"That's terrible to hear. Well considering that you are the legal guardian to Mokuba-sama if he is the next of kin, I can talk to you."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. Jounouchi is still unconscious and can't give permission. Give me a moment." He dialed Mokuba's number. "Did you find out who is the next of kin? Really? Okay. I'll call him." Kaiba quickly dialed Yugi's number, hoping to handle this quickly. "Listen," he said quickly not giving the king of games a chance to talk. "Give me permission to talk to Jounouchi's doctor. I'm putting him on." He handed the phone to the doctor.

"I'm sorry to do this, but I have to ask you a few questions. What is Jounouchi-san's birthday? His age? Current address? Marital status?" the doctor asked, pausing after each question. "Okay. Do you give me permission to speak with Kaiba Seto? I'm going to put you on speaker phone so you can listen as well."

He placed the phone between them and pushed the button for the speaker phone. "Jounouchi-san is suffering from a severe case of hyperthermia, but Kaiba-sama managed to get him warm enough to keep him out of danger. He is under a heating blanket keeping him warm until his body recovers. I also noticed he is suffering from dehydration and malnutrition. Other than that he looks physically fine. Mentally may be a different story as of right now he still remains unconscious."

"Will he make a full recovery?" Yugi asked, voice timid and slightly fearful.

"He should, but more likely he tried to commit suicide. I will recommend that he moves in with someone for the time being or placed in a psychiatric hospital. He will need to see a psychologist as well."

"I'll take care of him." Kaiba said quickly. "I have plenty of people to keep an eye on him, and I can have a private psychologist for him."

"Thank you, Kaiba-kun. I can move back to Domino next week."

"Are you doing something important there?"

"Yes, but Jounouchi-kun is more important."

"Does he know you are doing something important?"

"Yes, where are you going with this?"

"If Jounouchi is depressed enough to take his own life, he will feel worse if you stop what you're doing to take care of him. I can handle everything here. You keep doing what you're doing."

"But."

"Kaiba-sama is right. It may be difficult for you, but it would do more harm if you come back. I'm sure Kaiba-sama will keep you updated, and I can mail you all the information about his health and progress."

"Email would be better. The nearest post office from the dig sight is several miles from here."

"Okay. I'll need you to sign a consent form naming Kaiba Seto as the primary care giver. If you can, print the form, sign it before you scan it and sent it back."

"I can do all that. Thank you for everything."

"Of course. I'll send everything in an hour. What is your email address?"

The doctor wrote it down and waited for Kaiba to end the call. "Take care, Yugi. I'll call you when he wakes."

"Thank you, Kaiba-kun." Kaiba placed the phone back in his pocket after hanging up with Yugi.

"If you follow me, I'll lead you to his room. You can stay as long as you need. Inform the nurses right away once he wakes. Also he's in restraints for his own protection. Try to keep him calm until the nurses arrive."

"Understood. Thank you, Doctor," Kaiba said before entering the room. He was surprised at the quietness to the room. The monitors weren't beeping and he looked better. Color came back to his skin.

The CEO sat in the chair beside the bed, not sure what to do or say. "You're a fool," he started. "What possess you to do that? Don't you know the people that care about you would have blamed themselves? Why couldn't you say something to someone? Tell someone how you felt. Jeez, Jounouchi. I would have even listened. I thought I had longer with you, and that eventually I would tell you, but now you forced me to do this sooner. I should have known not to wait. Wake up, stupid, so I can tell you...tell you..." Kaiba growled, struggling to finish the sentence. "...how much I've been in love with you."

"Didn't know you could stutter," a scratchy voice spoke.

"I changed my mind. I hate you," the brunet said, crossing his arms.

The blond smiled weakly. "Sorry."

"You better be, worrying Mokuba, Yugi and I with that stunt."

Jounouchi groaned and started to move, but realized that he was unable. "Let me guess, restraints?"

"They don't want you harming yourself more."

The blond sighed and closed his eyes. "I won't."

"They won't trust that. Tell me what happened."

"I lost my job and only had enough money for one month's rent with no utilities."

"Why couldn't you find another job?"

"I wouldn't expect the great Kaiba Seto to understand job hunting in the current economy."

"Come work for me."

The blond glared at him. "I don't need your pity."

"Were you not listening to me before? It's not out of pity. I want you somewhere I can keep an eye on you. I care deeply for you."

"I don't like you," he hissed.

Kaiba frowned, trying to keep the pain from showing. He should have figured the blond wouldn't have the same feelings. "I understand. You can still work for me. I'll pay more than the average wage."

"I'll think about it."

"The doctor said you'll have to stay with me after you're released or a psychiatric ward. I told him I would keep an eye on you."

"Fuck, Kaiba. I don't care if you like me or not. I'm not staying at that mansion."

"But."

"I don't care. Sign me up for the loony bin. I'd be far away from someone like you. Who could ever love someone of the same sex? You're disgusting."

Kaiba's mouth dried. "I'll inform the nurses that you're awake and the doctor of the changes. It's good to see that you're going to be okay. If you still want a job when they release you, come see my human resources department. They'll hire you for a position that you won't have to see me. Goodbye, Jounouchi." Kaiba moved quickly out of the room, struggling to keep his mask from falling. He fought the tear that threatened to fall. "I will not look weak," he said over and over in his mind until he reached the nurses' station. "Jounouchi is awake. Can you please page his doctor?"

The short red head nurse nodded and reached for the phone. She paged the doctor before walking down the hall to the blond's room. He saw Dr. Satoshi approaching. "Is something wrong, Kaiba-sama?"

"Jounouchi is awake and chose not to stay with me. It seems his hatred for me hasn't changed over the years."

The doctor frowned. "I wouldn't take it personally. He might see you as the reason he's still alive and hates you for it. I'll draw the papers up to have him transferred. He'll have to stay here for a few days; maybe he'll change his mind."

"I doubt it. Thank you again for all your hard work and send me any bills," Kaiba said, bowing slightly before leaving the hospital. He didn't call his driver nor care that he was walking home through the cold air in nothing but his suit. He didn't ask for his or his driver's coats back, already vowing to get Sago a new jacket. He arrived an hour later at the mansion and dragged his tired, numb body upstairs. His heart that he thought didn't exist throbbed painfully in his chest. Maybe he wasn't supposed to find happiness. The brunet sighed and threw his phone on the floor before lying down on the bed. The doctor would inform Yugi of the changes. He shouldn't have to. He didn't want to.

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That is a long chapter one. Like I said. I obviously can't keep my stories short enough for one chapter. I'm not objecting and I'm sure you're not. I'll upload the last chapter tomorrow. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all for your kind reviews. I know this is a little dark, but I haven't written something like this in a while. Anyway, onward to chapter two.

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Chapter Two

Six months later, Kaiba saw Jounouchi's name appear on his new employee list. He knew that Jounouchi was being released that week and didn't expect him to still want the job. He stared at the name, feeling his heart throb again. For weeks after the incident with Jounouchi his heart would skip beats and it was difficult to breath. Every doctor he went to said the same thing; anxiety. He laughed and never returned to them. There was no way he was suffering from that. He smiled, running his fingers along Jounouchi's name. At least he knew where Jounouchi was and could slightly keep an eye on him. The morning after Jounouchi woke in the hospital, he informed Mokuba that he didn't want to hear the blond's name. It hurt too much to listen to what Mokuba talked about when he visited Jounouchi. The job that Kaiba assigned to the blond was a simple one where he would key all the names and address of everyone he had meetings or appointments with along with the dates and times. This included all the new doctors he visited attempting to find out what was wrong with his heart. He would also type any follow up instructions provided by his secretary. His station was in an office on the first floor, giving him free access to come and go.

Kaiba would start using the back entrance so the blond wouldn't have to see him. He didn't want to upset the man. He initialed and wrote "okay" next to all the new employees before setting it in the tray for outgoing memos. He went back to the computer, finishing all the reports for the day. The day went quickly for the CEO. Before he knew it, night had fallen. Mokuba hadn't called him that day either. He sighed and packed everything away. His little brother barely talked to him, angry that Kaiba didn't fight for the blond. He didn't accept the "Jounouchi is straight" excuse, claiming that Jounouchi didn't like girls. "Well, he doesn't like brunet CEO's either," Kaiba thought, walking to the service elevator that would take him to the back entrance. He already informed Sago that he would be coming down that way.

Days went by, one after the other. He never saw Jounouchi, just the daily reports of how good he was and that his supervisor highly recommended that he be hired permanently, which was already a given. Kaiba packed up like the days before, determined to patch his relationship with Mokuba that night. He had just stepped out of the elevator when a familiar voice spoke to him, "So that's how you come and go without me seeing you. I thought you would never pull it off once I saw that I had perfect view of the elevators and the front doors."

"You are breaking our agreement."

"An agreement I made while emotionally distraught. I would like to renegotiate."

"What are your terms? I can arrive before your shift and leave after it."

"I don't want something like that. How about we go back to your place and discuss this?"

The CEO shook his head. "We'll go up to my office. This is something that shouldn't be arranged at my personal dwelling. Sago, take a dinner break. I'll call you when I need you or just walk back myself."

Sago looked at the blond who rolled his eyes. "Kaiba, shut up and get in the car."

The brunet glared at him. "Is this how you talk to someone that saved your life and offered all the help that you need?" Kaiba stepped forward, shoving Jounouchi into the wall, not caring about harming him in any way. His rage and hurt was controlling every aspect of his being. "You kick me out of your life, call me disgusting and caused a rift in my relationship with Mokuba. A rift I planned to fix tonight, but you want to renegotiate. I plan to sacrifice myself again for you and you want to fight about where we discuss this. What are you planning? Did you only want to come with me to set up a lawsuit? Did you want to go to the press and claim I touched you inappropriately? Why? Why would you want to do anything with me? I'm dis..." Kaiba paused, feeling his heart beating fast and irregular. His breathing quickened and his throat closed. The first thought that popped in his head was "heart attack." He knew something was wrong. Something more than anxiety. He didn't know who grabbed him when he was about to fall, nor anything other than the pounded in his chest.

Jounouchi eased the brunet on the ground, holding him close. "Easy, Kaiba," he spoke softly, attempting to calm the panicking man. He suspected Kaiba's anger but not something like this when he got stressed. He had seen that he was going to the doctors and not about to find the reasons. Who would have thought Kaiba as someone to have panic attacks? He felt the CEO trembling in his arms. "Breathe slowly. Take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Sago, can you get me a blanket for him?"

The stunned driver blinked, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. He would never guess something like this was the reason for all the doctor appointments. He moved quickly to the trunk and got the blanket out. Now, everything made sense. His boss probably didn't believe the doctors and that was why he never went to the same one twice. He knelt down, wrapping the warm blanket around the trembling man. "Should I call the paramedics?"

"No, he'll be fine. Help me get him in the car. He'll feel better at home away from the public eye."

The two struggled but eventually got the tall man into the backseat with his head resting on Jounouchi's lap. The blond ran fingers through his hair, pleased that Kaiba's breathing was beginning to return to normal. The blond pulled the blanket closer to his chin before returning to stroke his hair. He regretted pushing Kaiba, not realizing that it wouldn't take much to trigger everything. He frowned as the brunet squirmed, attempting to put distance between them. "Easy, Kaiba. You need to relax." He continued to pull him back down to his lap, but the silent man sat up and pressed himself against the door. He was upset that he lost control of his emotions, and he didn't want to be touched by someone he still cares deeply for that feels nothing for himself. He didn't want to walk into that false hope. That door was shut in his life, and he wanted to quietly continue his life alone.

"Sago," Kaiba said, voice cracking and thick from what sounded like unshed tears. "Take Jounouchi home." Getting out of the car once they arrived at the mansion and knowing that Sago would take the blond home, he stumbled, still unstable on his feet.

"Stubborn man," Jounouchi hissed also getting out. He wrapped his arm around Kaiba's waist for merely a second before the brunet pushed him away.

"Don't touch me. I can get into the house without your help."

"Sure you can, stumbling around like a drunk."

"You're the one that called me disgusting. Why would you want to touch someone filthy?"

"That's what I'm trying to talk to you about. I know you are a very private man and will not like this discussion out in the open. Let's go inside to talk. I'll make you some tea."

Kaiba growled, but moved ahead of the blond. "Do what you wish," he conceded, unable to fight any longer. He was cold, tired and thirsty. All he wanted to do was curl up in his bed and forget everything that happened. The second he walked through the door his mood darkened. He was used to his brother racing down the stairs to greet him, and he should have adjusted to not seeing him in the past months, but he couldn't. Every time Mokuba was missing from his daily routine, he was reminded of what happened between him and Jounouchi.

Ignoring the blond, he placed his briefcase on the floor by the door and walked into the living room. It was dark, and he planned to keep it that way. He lied down on the black leather couch, slowly drifting to sleep. The blond frowned, wondering how often he fell asleep there. Grabbing the blanket that Kaiba dropped, he placed it over him. There was nothing more he could do at that moment. He walked up the stairs that he saw the second he walked into the mansion. Opening and closing each door, he searched for Mokuba. He finally found him sitting in a blue bean bag chair playing a video game on a large television hooked to the wall. "Your brother has panic attacks," he said, frightening the young man enough to cause him to drop his controller.

"Jounouchi?" he said, putting his hand over his heart. "You scared me."

The blond leaned against the door waiting for him to calm down. "Why didn't you tell me he has panic attacks before I confronted him?"

"Nii-sama doesn't have panic attacks. He's too cold hearted and emotionless to have them."

"Bullshit. I saw him have one."

"He would tell me something like that."

"They are the reason he's been going to all those doctor appointments. Did you not ask him about them?"

"We really haven't spoken much. He stays late at the office and even goes in on Sundays instead of staying home. Though, he would tell me if he was sick."

"So the man lying on the couch because he's too exhausted to climb the stairs is perfectly healthy?"

"Nii-sama always goes up to his room because he puts his briefcase in the safe."

"It's by the front door. I told you the last week I was in the hospital that his reaction was because of me. I told you to talk to him. Tell him that he's forgiven. Why haven't you done that yet?"

"He forbids me to talk about you."

"It sounds to me that you are using that as an excuse not to talk to him because you're still mad."

Mokuba sighed. "He's been different. His temper sparks faster. I don't want him yelling at me."

Jounouchi walked over and knelt beside him. "He may yell, but he'll calm down eventually. You can't take it to heart right now. I hurt him and left him with that pain for months."

"It's not your fault. He should have done things differently."

"That's where you're wrong. He did everything correctly for an emotionally scarred person. He didn't yell at me, fight with me, call me names or hurt me back. He politely kept his offer on the table and left quietly. He even arranged for the changes before leaving. I was the one at fault and need to apologize. Confronting him like you said didn't work. I'll do it my way this time. Oh, and Mokuba, the next time you have a disagreement with him, don't use me to hurt him in any way." The blond stepped out of the room, not giving the raven haired man a chance to respond.

Jounouchi moved down to the living room, seeing that Kaiba hadn't moved and slept peacefully. He carefully lifted the CEO's head and let it rest in his lap. He wasn't sure how long he would sleep, but he wanted to be there for him when he did wake. He placed his head against the back of the couch, staring at the ceiling. He knew he hurt the brunet, but he didn't know he did that much damage. He should have known Kaiba would react strongly to the insult when he put so much effort into expressing his feelings the first time.

Jounouchi didn't know how long he slept and couldn't remember shutting his eyes. When he finally drifted awake, the first thing he noticed was there was no weight on his lap. Fully opening his eyes, he didn't see Kaiba lying on the couch and the blanket he had over the brunet was now draped over him. He tossed the blanket on the ground and took off up the stairs. He had to figure out where the brunet was. Unable to remember which door was Mokuba's, he opened all the doors until he reached a door with voices coming from. He could tell one was Kaiba's, and he could hear the sound of background music to the video game Mokuba was playing the night before. He stayed there for a moment, unsure if he should interrupt them. They needed to mend their relationship nearly as badly as Jounouchi needed to apologize to Kaiba.

The blond stayed outside the door awaiting the brunet. He was sure that Kaiba would leave once he was finished. Becoming a little bored with the wait, Jounouchi moved further down the hallway until he found Kaiba's bedroom. He was shocked to find that his expectations were wrong. He suspected that Kaiba would have his room decorated with colors of blue and silver like his favorite card, but the room was dark with white walls and black everywhere, from the bed to the carpet. The desk by the window held nothing on top, not even trays to hold paper. He wondered if this was where Kaiba usually worked on his products. The ex-duelist walked over to the dresser, seeing picture frames that were knocked over. It seemed odd that the perfectly clean room would have the frames knocked over. He picked one up and saw it was a picture of Kaiba and Mokuba standing outside of Kaiba Corp. The two were much younger. "This must have been their first day as owners," he thought, standing the framed picture back up.

He picked up the second picture; again it was of Kaiba and Mokuba, this time in front of Kaibaland. It was looking more like Kaiba purposely flipped them over. It must have been painful for him to be reminded everyday of their troubled relationship. He only hoped that everything would work out to their benefit. Jounouchi picked up the last picture, expecting another one of the brothers but was shocked to see that it was of himself; not just one of him and his friends but just him. He didn't recognize what dueling platform he was one, but he had his green jacket and gauntlet from Duelist Kingdom. "How?" he thought. "Kaiba wasn't there until we were about to reach the castle and then Pegasus locked his soul into a card."

"What are you doing in here?" Kaiba said, voice heavy with obviously unshed tears and sadness.

"How did you get this picture?"

Kaiba didn't have to look at it to know which one he was questioning. "Pegasus filmed the whole competition. That's a screen capture from your duel with Mia, your first duel."

"I'm sorry that I hurt you."

The brunet took the frame from Jounouchi, looking at it once before placing it faced down along with the other two that the blond set upward. "You were only saying how you felt. Everyone gets rejected at least once their life. I reject people all the time."

"We need to talk about that. I didn't mean any of those words."

"Can we talk about this later? I'm tired and would like to sleep in my bed this time."

Jounouchi looked him up and down. That was an obvious lie. Kaiba was on the verge of cracking and didn't want to do it in front of him. "Did he forgive you?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Yes it is. My hurtful words to you caused this wave of destruction. I told him several times that he should forgive you. Even last night I told him again."

"Look, Jounouchi, let's talk about this on another day."

The blond growled, attempting to keep his anger under control. Last time he lost it, Kaiba had a panic attack. "No. If he still didn't forgive you, I will go talk to him again. And, I've been trying to tell you my true feelings. Stop pushing me away."

Kaiba huffed and sat on his bed. "Fine. Tell me what you want and leave."

Jounouchi sighed, walking over to him. He gently wiped the tear that almost fell from the brunet's right eye. "I don't hate you. I don't think you're disgusting. I hated you at that moment because you were the one that saved me and saw me at my lowest point. I never wanted the man I love to see me like that. I want him to see me like I am now, strong, in control and positive. I didn't want to recover in your house because I didn't want you to have two different memories of me. I only wanted you to see me like I always have been. I want to be with you, but I didn't want my weakness to cause a rift in our relationship. But..." Jounouchi paused. "I did something far worse." He walked over to the dresser and stood the pictures back up.

"I caused you to regret your feelings and wanted to rid yourself of all reminders of me. That included hearing about me from your brother. When my thoughts cleared, I realized what I did and worked hard at my recovery. So hard that they released me six months early. I wanted to see you again so I could tell you how sorry I am, but you had ways of avoiding me and started them, like you told me you would, right after I was hired. No amount of apologizes could make up for the mental damage I did to you. I beg before you. Can we start over?"

Kaiba stared up at him unable to deny the sincerity in his voice. He knew the blond was deeply troubled by what he did. He lifted his hand and placed it beside Jounouchi's cheek before letting it fall behind his neck. He pulled the blond down, brushing his quivering lips across Jounouchi's. Very slowly he pushed them closer, giving him the time to step away if he wished. When the blond didn't move, he deepened the kiss, running his tongue across his lips, tasting him for the first time. He fought the moan that threatened and closed his eyes.

Jounouchi lifted his hands and brushed his fingers through Kaiba's slightly tangled hair. He allowed the brunet to lead. "I love you," Jounouchi breathed across Kaiba's lips when the need for air caused them to break apart.

"I love you, too," the CEO answered, still feeling slightly scared that this was a ploy, but that sensation was depleting. Every kiss and touch the blond made was too passionate to fake. He lied down on the bed, bringing the blond with him.

"Will you talk to me now?" Jounouchi asked, placing his head on Kaiba's chest. "Did Mokuba forgive you?"

"For the most part, but he's very angry that I didn't tell him about the doctor appointments."

"He'll get over that eventually. He knows you like hiding your imperfections. What did your doctor give you for your panic attacks?"

"I don't have panic attacks."

Jounouchi lifted his head and blinked at his new lover. "Are you serious? Then what was that last night?"

"Lost control."

The blond rolled his eyes and put his head down. "Whatever you say. You know it's okay to have anxiety. With your line of work, I wouldn't expect anything less."

The brunet growled. "I don't have anxiety. That's why I went for a second opinion."

"More like fifth and sixth opinion. You know if they all say anxiety, then it's true."

"I don't..." the rest of Kaiba's sentence was lost by Jounouchi's lips crashing into his.

"We'll work on that," Jounouchi said, placing his ear over Kaiba's heart. "You're heart sounds perfect." He ran his fingers up and down Kaiba's side and across his stomach.

The brunet didn't say more. He knew Jounouchi and the doctors were right, but it was hard to accept. He closed his eyes mimicking the symbols the blond drew into his stomach onto his back. He felt strangely more at peace than ever. He drifted off to sleep, finally feeling happy with Jounouchi now in his arms. He vowed never to let him go. "Happy belated birthday," he whispered, falling asleep before he could hear Jounouchi's response.

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I hope you all liked it. I have the next story almost ready. The first chapter should be up tomorrow. Until then, thank you all for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


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